[Open] Sixteen

Located on the ridge of the Mountains above Penwick Castle and nestled in a natural stone basin, sits a collection of three tarns (mountain lakes). There are two small ones and one large one. The surface of the water is glass-like and reflective, perfect for swimming in the summer and ice skating in the winter. The tarns are inhabited by small fish and some aquatic plants. The largest one is significantly deeper, and if you dive deep enough...
Beside the water stands a small stone lodge which houses the locker rooms for swimmers and skaters as well as the classroom used for Runes and Ritual Magicks.
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June Selwyn

6th Year Penwick student with a 29.30cm Walnut and Phoenix Feather wand.
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Student, Mercator, Sixth Year

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Post by June Selwyn »

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JUNE SELWYN
*:・゚✧*:・゚✧
Date: June 23, 2026 | Open | Dialogue: X
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June Selwyn was sixteen.

When you were sixteen, you were no longer a "kid". It had weight to it, the sort of weight that belonged to girls in novels who uncovered secrets, won tournaments, found love, and looked good while doing it all.

This clearly warranted a party. Not a small one, either. Not a polite gathering of carefully chosen guests arranged around a table with cupcakes and nervous conversation. June had done that before. This year, she had made posters.

Many posters.

Her invitations turned more into a campaign, with posters hung on common room noticeboards, the Dining Hall, and one particularly visible spot in the Portiport. Bestest Friend Ever (tm) @Maggie Hawkins helped her make the posters "pop" more.

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June's Sixteenth Birthday
Swimming at the Tarns
June 23rd @ 7pm
Bring swimwear, towels, and snacks. Don't drown.

And, after weeks of study, June had found a variation of the Illegibus charm that allowed you to make something unreadable to a specific person. She hadn't mastered it, though, and was only able to cast it to a name, rather than a specific person. Unfortunate for the sixth-year Finnegan Atwater in Floranti, but he was destined to be colatteral damage to ensure @Finnegan Connor didn't come.

When Finn (either one) went to inspect the poster, it would change to read:

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World Cup Watch Party!!
Non-Wizarding Perspectives Classroom
June 23rd @ 7pm
Free snacks!

Hopefully, it would keep him away, but then again, people talked. And who knows if someone would spoil the charm, or tell Finn about the party, and he probably wouldn't even want to be there anyway. If Finn fell for it, he really was daft. How would someone even watch the World Cup at Penwick?

June didn't even go to dinner, opting to spend the time setting up. In the warm summer air, the Tarns had turned almost golden in the low light. The largest lake lay smooth and bright beneath the sky, while the smaller tarns caught the last strips of gold between the mountains. It was unbelievably pretty, which June appreciated. If nature wanted to show off for her birthday, she would accept it with open arms.

June had claimed a flat stretch of grass near the water and arranged everything with exacting satisfaction. Blankets were spread across the ground. Towels were folded in a stack that would almost certainly be ruined within minutes. Small strings of lights hung above the area, and June had gotten a Dranaga classmate to loan her a "blue tooth speaker" so Maggie could DJ the birthday songs with a borrowed "eye-pod”. There were snacks, canned drinks, bowls of punch, and a cake that June had transported herself from Brynwell, all laid out on a table.

She had changed into a blue swimsuit and a loose white cover-up, her hair pinned back. Every few minutes, she looked toward the path back to the castle, not because she was worried no one would come, but because she wanted them to hurry up.

Friends could come. Acquaintances could come. People who only knew her from class could come. People who had read the poster and decided swimming sounded better than homework could come. People who like cake would come. People who liked parties would come. People who liked gossip might have come if they caught wind of one of the Finns misreading the poster.

A small group of people finally walked over the hill, mostly other fifth years June had been acquainted with, but no one she was particularly close with. She waved to them as they exchanged "Happy birthday"s and "Thank you for coming"s, before the small group split between lying in the sun and already jumping into the water.
Welcome to June's Birthday Bash!
I always like doing fun party threads for June's (and my) birthday. Don't feel the need to stick to a posting order! Whenever your character arrives, there will already be people there.

People may have come just because they heard it was a party, not even knowing who June is, so don't feel like you can't participate if you haven't threaded with her before!

Feel free to swim, snack, dance, chat with the birthday girl, chat with anyone but the birthday girl, or anything else!

Things like alcohol and cigarettes and maybe some funky potions may appear in this thread (since, you know, teenage party), you are welcome to partake or leave them be. Remember our site rules involving drugs and alcohol, found here if ever in doubt. If you would like to "spike" a bowl of punch, you can not say you did it to all of them. The option to not partake in alcohol, should it show up, should be an option for every participant.

Party away!
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Devon Fondatore

2nd Year Penwick student with a 29.00cm Ebony and Unicorn Hair wand.
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Student, Dranaga, Second Year

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Post by Devon Fondatore »

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【 devon fondatore 】
23 june, 2026 open to interactionx

June was a funny name for someone born in June.

Devi had been thinking about that for the better part of the walk up to the tarns, which was maybe a bit unfair considering he didn’t actually know June Selwyn all that well. He knew of her. Fifth year. Mercator. One of those girls who always looked put together, like she had opinions on organization and probably a labeled planner somewhere. But really, all of that was secondary to the fact that she had apparently been born on the twenty-third of June and then named June. Her parents had looked at the calendar and gone,, yeah, that’ll do.

Respect, honestly.

The party itself, though, had been enough to get his attention fast. Devi had no real reason not to go. It was warm, the evening was nice, swimming at the tarns, snacks, music, it seemed like the perfect thing to scratch the itch of wanting the school year to be over already. Like an early taste of summer break.

He came over the hill with a towel slung around his neck, swim trunks on, and a small muggle water gun currently tucked into the back waistband of his swim trunks beneath an oversized shirt which he had every intention of using. People were already scattered across the grass and by the edge of the water, some already in, some hesitating like losers.

Devi slowed for only a second as his eyes found June herself near the setup, clearly in her element, hovering just close enough to the food and music to suggest she’d been managing the whole thing like a military operation. He angled toward her with an easy grin already in place, lifting his hand to say "hi".

“Happy birthday!” he called brightly. “Cool name!”

Cool name?

A beat passed.

What an idiot.

And with that, before anyone could make him feel more embarrassed, Devi kicked off into a run the last few paces, yanked his shirt over his head, and launched himself into the water in a glorious cannonball.

The water hit cold enough to make his whole body jolt, but in the good way, the sort of shock that forced a laugh out of him the second he came back up. He shoved wet hair out of his face and blinked water from his eyes, treading water with a grin across his face.

“What are you all waiting for?” Devi shouted, bright and challenging, one hand lifting to point accusingly at the landlocked crowd. “It’s a swimming party, not a standing-around-looking-at-the-water party!"
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Gage Frawley

6th Year Penwick student with a 29.00cm Pine and Dragon Heartstring wand.
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Student, Modron, Sixth Year

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Post by Gage Frawley »

September, June 23, 2026
Gage first sees the poster in the hallway after leaving his history of magic class. He had barely been paying attention, his mind occupied with thoughts of his later meetings with the Pariahs. June Selwyn—a bookworm by nature—has officially turned sixteen. The sweet sixteen is no time for simplicity; Gage knows that she has to do something major. The poster shows that June agrees with the sentiment, deciding to host a party at the Tarns. Upon first laying his eyes upon the poster, Gage knows that he has to attend. Who would be uninterested in attending a gathering such as this? It provides golden opportunities, after all. Plenty of chances to experience and witness some truly memorable events. A small part of Gage wants to just crash the party, not bringing any of the listed items just to be difficult. However, even he understands that a birthday party is sacred. One only turns sixteen once; that event should not be ruined, especially by someone June barely knows.

Gage decides to spend some his money on a few simple snacks. Just things to fill out the tables, really. Nothing all that special. Whay Gage doesn't skimp out on, though, are the drinks.. As it would turn out, having the right people owe you favours works out quite well. Gage, however, soon catches wind of something quite peculiar... The poster is not the same for everyone, or so whispering students in the halls claim. For one—Finnegan Connor, or so he overhears—it reads as something else entirely. Clearly, it is a ploy to ensure that he does not attend.

Gage soon arrives at the designated spot, carrying a bag filled with snacks in his left hand and a pack of good quality whiskies under his right arm. A few people—none of which he recognises—are already present. He wishes that the other Pariahs could have been in attendance, but most of them are not the types to enjoy events like this. Such is life. Gage is dressed in a black shirt with white spider leg-like markings across it alongside plain, white shorts and black sandals. He keeps his hair loose, letting it blow in the breeze. Nearby, he spots June.

"June!" He beams, flashing an easy smile. "Happy birthday! Where should I leave all of this?" He gestures with his head towards the snacks and drinks he has brought with him.
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PHYSIQUE
Looks a bit boring at the moment, huh? Maybe you should spice things up soon. Make some fun happen.

INTELLIGENCE
The guests have clearly not all arrived just yet. Let's hold off on that for now. Things might get more interesting yet.
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Just as the thoughts cross his mind, another student arrives. A boy, most certainly a first-year student. Gage thinks he recognises him as Devon Fondatore, a friend of Archer's. He is surprised to see a first-year student at a party like this. Suddenly, the alcohol slung under his arm seems a little less appropriate. Gage shrugs. Devon crashes into the water with a frankly glorious cannonball. The boy shouts at those not yet in the water, demanding that they dive in.
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PHYSIQUE
On yeah! This kid gets it!

CHARISMA
This must be some attempt at fitting in. He is clearly younger than everyone else; he is trying to utilise this behaviour to seem less out of place.
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Gage smiles at him. There's potential there.
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Finnegan Connor

6th Year Penwick student from Cardiff, Wales with a 25.00cm Chestnut and Phoenix Feather wand.
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Student, Floranti, Modron, Sixth Year

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Post by Finnegan Connor »

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Spare a thought for the poor flowers that are not plucked for their beauty, the flower that never makes it into a bouquet or salad, that is never watered or cherished or fondly regarded, but doomed to be held by nervous, stubby hands.

They are warm hands, but do not think them kind. Their purpose is mutilation; petals pinched between thumb and finger, squeezing, then ripping and tearing.

She loves me. She loves me not.

The petals fell, pooling at his feet until only the stem remained. Deflowered and dishonored, it was regarded for a moment before it joined the corporeal pile. The unkind fingers still trembled until one hand found the other and the fingers laced together. The mind pretended for a fleeting moment that it was hers, her hand in his. Hers! Slender fingers were they, not so rough and stubby, but graceful as water and light as air. The eyes closed and shut out the world, because he had to be blind to believe it.

She loves me. She's wonderful. She hates you and you deserve it. But I like her! I hate her... I don't want to think about her anymore, and I want to hold her. I want to forget her, and I want to hug her. I want to punch her, but I would never hurt her. I have already hurt her, it's my fault. I don't even remember why I liked her. All she's ever done is string me along. I won't be her emotional support animal any longer. Who the bloody hell does she think she is? I'll show her how little I care about her, I'll show her!

His lips pressed together into a thin, sneering line that made any accidental passerby walk arch around him. He sat alone and defeated on the low steps of the Having just murdered three flowers, he looked as though he was thinking about killing someone else, like anyone who dared to come within wand-range, for example.

No one likes to feel like an idiot, but what June had done was especially cruel, inviting everyone except for Atwater and him. He'd actually gone to the Non-Wizarding Perspectives classroom. Free snacks and football had seemed like a decent distraction from having to think about June's birthday. No one had been there, and if that had been the end of it, he might still have been fine. But then Atwater had showed up, perhaps out of pity, and he had shown the enchantment on the posters. Finnegan had faked a laugh and pretended to shrug it off before quickly making it out of the corridors and into the garden. He'd found a low wall behind a thick shrubbery, perfect to collect one's brooding thoughts and rip up some flowers.

The thought that just a little way up the mountain June and everyone else who had bothered to come were having a party without him. Well, it wasn't about missing June's lousy party, really. He could do without her stiff, over-arranged birthday parties where she pretended to have fun. It was more that she had gone through all this effort to deliberately uninvite him. What if she had tipped off Finn Atwater? Perhaps that boy would be at water now, true to his name, perhaps she had exempted other Finn just to drive the knife in a little deeper.

He entertained the thought of walking up the mountain to crash her party, let her know he had worked out her stupid game. But then he had considered that perhaps that was what she had been counting on. If he stormed up to her, he'd be the one who'd look like the fool, and he wasn't about to let everyone at this new school know how he felt about June when he was hardly sure himself anymore.

Maybe he ought to send her an exploding birthday cake. But what good would that do except invite retribution? He had imagined various ways of exacting revenge, some more painful than others, and yet he had remained in the lonesome spot, growing his pile of dismembered flowers. He couldn't recall exactly when during his listless staring the thought had hit him, but he had been thinking about flowers, then sprigs, then mistletoe berries and drops of lethe river water. He'd made the potion before and though he wasn't the greatest potioneer, this particular one wasn't all that difficult to brew. And perhaps... if he added... yes..., yes that could work, couldn't it? When he had made his drawing of June upon their first meeting at Hogwarts, he had never imagined it might end up in a potion, but now that he thought about it, it seemed right somehow. He had thought about destroying it before, but never got around to it, because he had always clung to a shred of hope that one day, June might turn around and decide to love him back.

He squeezed his eyes shut and cringed at his own thoughts. What an idiot he had been, but no more. No more...

He got up from where he had been sitting in the garden and sauntered toward the tunnel leading into the subterranium, a plan already formulating in his head. He already had the drawing, his cauldron and standard ingredient, and the Potions professor was unlikely to miss 2 drops of lethe river water from their stock. What else? Valerian sprigs and - cynically - mistletoe berries. He would have to take care, make sure the potion was strong and bound to his memory of her, that would be the trick of it, to change a general potion into something far more targeted...
Figured I'd post this in here even though Finnegan won't be at the party itself. @June Selwyn
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